Entries in Masao Yoshida
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JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images(TOKYO) -- The director of Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, who abruptly resigned last month, has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Masao Yoshida disclosed his condition to workers at the plant on Friday and TEPCO, the plant's operator, confirmed it at a press conference in the afternoon. The severity of Yoshida's cancer, however, has not been revealed.

Citing a doctor at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, TEPCO said the cancer was not likely triggered by radiation exposure, adding that it usually takes five to 10 years for a person to develop cancer from radiation.

TEPCO also said that Yoshida had been exposed to 70 millisieverts of radiation since the nuclear disaster began in March, which is below the 100 mSv limit for emergency workers.

STR/AFP/Getty Images(TOKYO) -- The director of Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, has been hospitalized for an undisclosed illness and will step down later this week, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said Monday.

TEPCO has not said whether the illness is related to radiation, and has refused to release the amount of Masao Yoshida’s radiation exposure, citing privacy issues -- though they’ve revealed numbers for previous employees.

According to the newspaper Sankei, Yoshida sent a letter to workers saying doctors detected an illness at a recent checkup and advised him to seek treatment right away.

The 56-year-old has headed the nuclear plant since the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami struck Japan in March, triggering the country's worst nuclear disaster. Yoshida led the effort to stabilize the reactors that were damaged as a result.